Song of the Day, 12/30/2011

Okay, I sort of sucked at keeping the momentum going for this for the whole year. But it's been AWESOME to look back over this and see all of this stuff - and it's been super helpful as I've been trying to organize a Top Songs of 2011 list. So much goodness I forgot about!

So many photos from SxSW! So many posts about the Fleet Foxes!

I'm trying to put together my list on Spotify, and so far one of my greatest frustrations is what *isn't* available. I think my favorite song of the past year, one that I've listened to again and again, is The Round by Pickwick. This band, is worth seeing a million times over. They started as an alt-country band and got bored, and decided to get some soul.



Originally, they released The Round at a few other songs on 7" only - I have them. They're like candy. They're recording a full length early next year, and I CANNOT wait to hear it.

Another someone I think you're going to hear more about this next year is Bryan John Appleby (maybe just from me):

The 2011 Doe Bay Sessions - Bryan John Appleby from Sound on the Sound on Vimeo.

.... Maybe I should just do a top 10 as a blog post....

Song of the Day 11/5/11 - Macklemore's And We Danced

I just kind of love Macklemore. The new video is kind of ridiculous but it's a great song.

Song of the day 7/8/2011

Great song, sleazy video redeemed by that ENORMOUS chorus.



Typing for money is killing me at the moment. Is 33 too young to retire?

SotD 7/5/11 Stars' Your Ex-lover is Dead

Stars | A Take Away Show from La Blogotheque on Vimeo.

Exhausted this week so thought I'd just post an old favorite :)

Song of the day 6/23/2011

Another missed week of blogging. I am ok. I hope you all didn't faint from worry. There’s a lot going on for me at the moment, I’m mainly fixing bugs (or at least staring blankly at misbehaving code and shrugging which is almost the same thing), there’s been a huge injection of very good standup comedy that I absolutely must consume (Live, TV, podcasts and Netflix and oh my fucking god Andy Kindler is coming back to Seattle) and I’m trying to buy a new amplifier to expunge the spectre of Peavey from my band. Things are all happening.

Sugar – If I Can’t Change Your Mind

(I still haven’t justified the “let’s drown some lady” theme in A Good Idea – so I’ll go with this one).

More early nineties indie rock. I don’t accept the notion that there is other music. Ever late to the party I got this record eleven years after it came out following a horrible breakup (really, the kind with multiple, bloody exit wounds, the painful learning experience kind) – this, on repeat and gin and tonics on repeat got me through that. I like all the melodies and harmonies. I like the guitar and drum sounds. I like how this is what Husker Du would sound like if they were more commercial. And the scales at the end – YES!

Good God Bob Mould looks young in this video. Wikipedia tells me that the band Train covered this song. Train can fuck off.

All your problems are over when you listen to this record, it’s 44 minutes 58 seconds of respite.

Thanks Sugar. Thanks alcohol.

SoTD 6/14/11: Lady Gaga's Judas

I avoided listening to Lady Gaga (except the unavoidable Poker Face and Bad Romance, which is everywhere) but when Amazon had the $.99 special for the new album I figured why the hell not. Considering my love for certain kinds of 80s music (Erasure and more!) I should have realized I'd get hooked. Well played Amazon, you got another $14 out of me :P

Song of the Day 6/9/2011

Check list for a good pop song:

• Stop-Start
• Harmonizing
• Sub 3 minutes

Check! Check! Check!

I love Visqueen. They write great songs and always seem to be working very hard. I saw them twice last year and both times there were lots of tiny children around. Hopefully they’ll play in a bar soon so there can be adult beverages and language.

SotD 6/7/11: Cataldo

I don't actually remember what song this is. I tried to post the call and response song he did at the living room show but apparently other audiences don't sound as good as we did!

Song of the Day, 6/5/2011

Please stop by my bedroom and dance to this song with me. Or stop by the next Lawndree show, maybe we'll cover it.

Song of the Day, 6/4/2011

It's not really a secret is it, this one is my favorite radiohead song.



I remember wondering when I was like, 14, how I would pose if I was in this video. Oh, you so know you did too. Don't fake it.

Song of the day 2/06/2011

Seattle attracts so much music and is awesome.
Seattle also has too many stupid festivals and camping-based torture near by.

God I hope the reformed Archers of Loaf do a show actually in Seattle.

Song of the Day, 6/1/2011

Ugh, the flu. The new Death Cab for Cutie album is out this week, and I feel like I should have listened to it and have some sort of brilliant commentary on it by now. Instead I've been puking my guts up and having fever dreams for the last 48 hours.

Death Cab For Cutie Storytellers |Death Cab For Cutie |Storytellers |Music Videos

So instead, check out the latest sign that we're all old now - Death Cab for Cutie on VH1's Storytellers. Movie Script Ending is one of my favorite songs, it's about driving into Bellingham and it came out at a time when I was doing a lot of driving in to Bellingham - the album came out the week before I moved down to Seattle for college.

I could place most of the lines of the song, but I couldn't ever really figure out where the Bottoms on Barstools line was - but it turns out, it's about one of my favorite bars in Bellingham - the legendary Beaver Inn.

They also play and share the story behind Photobooth, another one of my favorites. When I hear it, I can smell the smells that mark the end of a Pacific NW Summer:

Death Cab For Cutie Storytellers |Death Cab For Cutie |Storytellers |Music Videos

There also is a house - or was house - in the lettered streets that I used to pretend this song was about. I didn't know the people that lived there real well, I was in high school, they were in college, I went to a party there, like, once I think - but I'd often drive past and see a couch on the lawn and pretend this song was happening. (And that I wasn't invited. But maybe, someday I would be.)

SotD 5/31/11 - Dan Mangan's Robots

I recently had the privilege of attending the fourth show by local house show producers Notes From Home. The evening's entertainment was Cataldo, Hey Marseilles, and Dan Mangan. Of the three of them I had only heard Hey Marseilles before.

I have little experience attending house shows but wow, what a way to experience music. The setting was intimate, the sound was good, the people open and friendly, and I just felt like I was experiencing something special. The highlight for me was that every band that night performed a sing-along song and they all successfully got the entire room singing. This song was Dan Mangan's sing-along contribution.

Happening Now: The Thermals

#sasquatch

Song of the Day, 5/28

I'm heading out to Sasquatch right now. Woo! We're playing Radiohead covers at noon.

Anyways, so, I missed yesterday too preparing for this adventure.

Sorry.

And I'm having a hard time pulling embed code from YouTube on my phone, so you're going to have to click through to this video of Pulp's first show after reuniting this year.

Song of the day 5/26/2011

The original brief for contributing to this blog was to write about Seattle-centric stuff, as you can see I live to disappoint.

Kerbdog – Sally

I still have the ticket stub for this show somewhere, October 1993 Manchester Academy : The Almighty, The Wildhearts, Kerbdog. Jesus tap-dancing Christ, this was a hell of a thing to unleash on a young man. I’d been to a couple of shows before this one, but this was the first gig where I got to stand at the front next to the speaker stacks (this and the endless repetitions of doing similar things almost exactly like this are why if you speak to me today you have to yell directly into my ear). Kerbdog were the opening act and were barely older than me. It was amazing.

Years later when I was in college I saw them again and after the show, because of poor transport links between “where I studied” and “where rock was at”, my friends and I had to wait for a train for a couple of hours, we waited in the bar, we met the band and they bought us drinks. Thoroughly charming chaps.

This song is off their second record where they became less metal and learned to write pop songs with crunching fuzzy guitars.

They did two records and split up. Their bass player went to university to study civil engineering and the other two formed Wilt who were quite good, but less good. People like me remained obsessed with Kerbdog to the point where for the last few years they they’ve relented and done an annual reunion show in Ireland around Christmas. I want to go to that. I owe them a drink.

Song of the Day, 5/15/2011, Part 2

It'd be pretty sad if I didn't come back and post a part 2, wouldn't it?

The new David Bazan record came out yesterday. When I was a teenager I went to a few Pedro the Lion shows, and I always thought they were weird and kind of horrible - one in particular (Pedro the Lion, Ida, and the Juxtapositions - I think) the entire crowd turned over between sets. The friendly indie rock kids rolled out, and the Christian Youth of the year 2000 rolled in.

I found this to be incredibly creepy, and it made me feel really weird and dirty about listening to Pedro. And liking it. I thought they were a Christian rock band, and they weren't for me.



Years later, I read a real article on David Bazan and his relationship with religion. And I sat down and actually listened to his lyrics. It turns out, I didn't get it. And neither did the armies of Christian kids that were creeping me out at those shows.


Bazan's new record sounds good. It sounds REALLY good. I highly suggest hitting up the audio page on his website and listening to the first track featured there - Wolves at the Door. It's been my jam of the last 48 hours.

Then skip 'Bless This Mess', which doesn't work for some reason.

And listen to Please, Baby, Please, which is another fantastic track.


And sit. Be cynical. But love. Understand love. Understand everything I didn't when I was 16.

Song of the Day, 5/25/11, Part 1

Part of missing Monday and Saturday songs of the day that is kind of terrible, is that I actually have a few songs I desperately want to share with you. I have. a. queue.

Well, here's the first, which I am severely enjoying right now.



Even though I have 2.5 WHOLE DAYS without a rehearsal or a gig, thus, a well deserved mental break from music, I might spend all night tomorrow trying to learn some of these fiddle parts. I want to play the fiddle like that so very hard.

Via friend John via Facebook.

SotD 5/24/11 - Chromeo's Don't Turn The Lights On

I'm not sure what took me so long to give Chromeo a listen. I distinctly remember an old friend recommending them to me. When we saw them at SXSW it was a bit of a relief because most of the bands weren't dance enough to get me moving. Chromeo is now on frequent rotation for my walk to work.

Song of the Day, 5/22/11

I've been a pretty terrible Song of the Day poster, lately, yeah?

Well, here's why:

Song of the Day 5/19/2011

I love The Hold Steady, but their last record was …meh. I’m assuming this is because of the loss of Franz Nicolay and his amazing moustache. Whatever the reason, I have a gap must be filled by too many smart lyrics yelled over crunchy guitar riffs.

Oh well would you look at this:



It’s Titus Andronicus, I got their 2008 record The Airing Of Grievances, which is good and has at least one amazing song on it:



But I found that the distortion/overdrive/supersaturation of the vocals made it really hard to listen to the record all the way through, and I’m delighted they seemed to have stopped doing that on the new(er) stuff.

Hey - there’s a lady in in the band, but she’s not playing bass. Clearly they have not read the Official Rules of Indie Rock (that’s Amy Klein, you should follow her on Twitter @AmyAndronicus and read this interview with her: http://guitareste.com/2011/05/05/interview-amy-klein/)

James Blake on KEXP at 1pm

We've done a fair amount of hyping James Blake on this blog lately, and it's probably safe to say that none of you - and certainly none of us - were able to score tickets to his show at the Tractor Tavern.

Well, you can catch a taste of it on KEXP at 1pm (10 minutes from now!).

Http://KEXP.org/. Do it hard.

SotD 5/17/11 - The Lonely Forest's I Don't Want To Live Here

The Lonely Forest came to Amazon recently for a recruiting event. My friend generously put together a resume just so I could get a ticket. It was definitely a strange place to watch a band - the sound sucked and the fluorescent lighting and office carpeting precluded any real ambiance. The singer joked that he felt like he was performing in a biology class.

Song of the Day, 5/15/2011

Okay, I know I've made several Fleet Foxes posts since their album Helplessness Blues came out a few weeks ago, and hopefully - HOPEFULLY - I'll get sick of it soon and this one will be the last.



But I can't help but post this song as the song of the day, since I've been listening to it nonstop. They lyrics are an anthem for everyone in their 20s trying to figure things out, especially in the middle of this recession - the desperation to be a part of something larger seems tangibly greater now for most of us.

That's not the real reason I've been so nonstop about this song though.

That moment comes at exactly 2:30 - the moment where the harmony breaks and all of the voices are unexpectedly in unison - "Why should I wait for anyone else?".



It rips at me each time. That's the moment of clarity from the confusion. And it's so unexpected, every time I listen to the damn song.

Happening Now: My gal Rhythm Turner

Song(s) of the Day, 5/14/2011

I'm really shitty at dealing when dating situations start to go south. A couple of years ago, I met the guys in The Globes through a guy I was dating - they were young (not even 21!), they had just moved as a band from Spokane, WA out to Seattle to focus and try and "make it", they were all working at the School of Rock to try to scrape up money to record their record. At the time a few years ago, the guy I was dating was trying to get them noticed by Barsuk.

Well, anyways, long story short, they're a fantastic band, and I remember them as some of the nicest guys I've met. Ever. Their full length came out on Barsuk this week, but I'm going to direct you to their bandcamp where you can listen to their Sinter Songs EP in it's entirety.



I wish I wasn't such an ass and I was able to keep in touch with these guys - regardless, I'm very excited to see their record come out (and it's great!)

Song of the Day, 5/13/2011

Just go listen to PSmoov's remix of Brent Amaker if you haven't yet already.

Just go do it and get it over with.

Song of the day 5/12/2011

[This was all revved up and ready to go last night, on time and under budget as always but there were some weird issues with Blogger and I couldn’t post. I’m using the opening paragraph of this entry to complain about that.]

Frank Black – Headache.

I’m exhausted. Today was long and eventful, there was music and talking, also bug fixing and early morning exercise. Thoughts on going to the gym first thing in the morning: you get to feel smug about having already worked out, but you also get to feel bonefuckingtired all day long – your mileage may vary especially if you’re healthier than I am (which, statistically speaking, you definitely are).

I’ve always really liked this song, and it always reminds me of the first time I heard it – in my friend Dave’s room in college. Then, as now, Dave drank a lot of tea from massive mugs. We later discovered that each of these mugs could hold an entire bottle of dead cheap white wine, and we put this to good use in between learning physics and watching “I Am Weasel”. I miss Dave – I wish unlikely circumstances would bring him, as they did me, to Seattle.

SotD 5/10/11 - Daft Punk's Something About Us

I was going through my posts and renaming them when I discovered that I didn't post anything for May 10th. I'm not sure how that's possible but I'm way too particular to let that stand.

In retrospect, I am posting one of the songs that triggers the strongest emotional reaction in me. "Something About Me" was the song I dubbed "our song" back when I was a naive teenager at the beginning of a 6 1/2 year growth stunting relationship. People used to tell me it was a depressing choice but I'm more appalled at how poorly the song represented our relationship. My romanticism was misplaced: there wasn't anything great about that relationship, I just didn't know better.

Song of the Day, 5/9/11

Whoa! Now this is a find—did you know there was a disco group called Nostromo (for the spaceship in Alien) with a club single that samples and homages Ridley Scott's seminal 1979 sci-fi/horror film?

Via Line Out - this is pretty much the best ever.

Make Up Post - Busby Berkeley's futurism and musical industry

Earlier this week, there was a great post on WMFU's blog about the popular music of the 30s and 40s that you should take a moment to read.

Then you should watch the above Busby Berkeley number Dance Until the Dawn. Watch the machine like choreography, listen for the whistling flutes and piccolos, and think of how this was all captured on film - an industry that is a machine propelling an industry that is a machine propelling an industry that is a machine.....

Song of the Day, 5/8/11

I apologize for being several days behind on this.



This song has been stuck in my head for weeks. Hypothetical country western side projects aside, I've been thinking a lot about the way we're socialized, how it relates to what we think we deserve, and how we get what we want.

One of the results of it is tales like this burning themselves deep into who we are.

Oh, and the hair. OH MY GOD THE HAIR.

Song of the Day 5/5/2011

Some accents work well for rock music, some might even make the music sound more "authentic", for some reason one that works in my head is a Scottish accent. Thinking about it, that probably says more about the state of my mind than it does about music so let’s not pursue this line of inquiry any further.

For whatever reason I've been listening to a lot of scotch* music over the last few weeks, probably the best record that fits into this category is Guide For The Daylight Hours by Ballboy, which is magnificent from start to finish. I love the first song, so I dug around on YouTube for a version to post here and found a lovely 2007 recording from New York. The first two minutes are funny story that turns into an explanation of the song.

Ballboy – Avant Garde Music

• That line "I wish the queen would leave me alone" has bothered me for ages – I'm delighted that this recording explains it.
• More guitar players should wear ties – I might start doing this.
• Never read YouTube comments about anything for any reason.

*Yeah, I know

SotD 5/3/11 - Aqueduct's The Suggestion Box

I feel so lucky whenever a band I like turns out to be from Seattle. The first time I saw Aqueduct I remember being surprised because they looked nothing like I expected, immediately followed by thinking that was really cool.

Song(s) of the Day, 5/2/2011

Today I am sharing more than a song - a whole album. I play with the Seattle Rock Orchestra, and today Shenandoah Davis released the full set from the show we played with her on 4/2/2011!

Give it a listen. It sounds fantastic, I can't hear any of the mistakes I totally know I made. The dynamic range is large, so don't be surprised if it gets a little loud.

(Yay! I did this! Yay!)

Summer Concert Report

OH, so apparently Doe Bay Fest sold out in about 20 minutes this morning. I wasn't real on top of it, so I didn't even try to buy tickets -- but even last year, when it took days to sell out, I ended up being the only person who I talked with about going that actually got a ticket. (Draaaaaag.)


Well friends. I guess we ought to get planning for What the Heck Fest, right? (Not that there really ought to be one or the other, but seriously. Let's not mess this up. Party in Skagit County!)


Lois
Liturgy
Wyrd Visions
Ben & Bruno (BB)
Earth
Angelo Spencer et les Hauts Sommets
For The Birds
LAKE
Arrington de Dionyso’s Malaikat dan Singa
Takhoma
Laura Leif
Bitpart
Broken Water
Sam Lohmann
The Drink Up Honey
D+
Lovers Without Boarders
Mount Eerie
Ô Paon
Mecca Normal
Thrones
Brave Irene
the Zaps
Purple & Green
the Violins
Stephen Steinbrink
Karl Blau

Song of the Day, 5/1/2011

I'm doing a terrible job of enjoying today, the most perfect beautiful day May Day that has ever happened. I had one short rehearsal for Queen, and have spent most of the day learning about iOS development. Aww. Nerd life.


I think the truth is that sunlight is inspiring - it makes me want to create. Produce. (I always want to create and produce in the darker times, but it can be such a battle to sit down and get started.)

Anyways. About creation and creating. Last night, I saw Boy Eats Drum Machine play at the Comet as part of the like, uber-Pop-Quadruple header. And I'm totally in love with this! He's my favorite one man band that I've seen to date. He's got turntables. He sings. And he plays the saxophone.



And he dances. I love when you can get a glimpse of what it means to really love something. He dances.



He was selling handmade vinyl, and I'm really disappointed in myself that I forgot to buy some before I stumbled home.

Happening Now: Throw Me The Statue

Happy to say they sound great.

Happening Now: Boy Eats Drum Machine

I think I'm in love.

Song of the Day, 4/30/2011

Hey! If you have nothing to do tonight, you really ought to consider coming out to the Comet to see Throw Me the Statue, Boat, Boy Eats Drum Machine, and Wonderful. It's a pretty epic Seattle pop band line up - it's going to a super fun night.

Throw Me the Statue hasn't played a show in like, what, a year? Wonderful is the new/old band from most of the members of USE, and Boat - is Boat.

I keep wondering if this song was written about someone I know. Maybe I'll learn tonight!

Song of the Day, 4/29/2011

"SHE IS SO CUTE!" A bunch of drunk dudes in glasses were losing it.



Buke and Gass opened the sold out Tuneyards show last night at the Crocodile - and they were dangerously close to stealing the show. The crowd demanded an encore, the Croc wouldn't let them play it.



They sound better live than they do recorded, mostly because the Gass (guitar + bass) is really loud and a little drone-y, which is a fantastic foundation for the Buke (baritone uke) and totally wild vocals.


Yep! Keep an eye out for them in the future.

Happening Now: High Tension Line

Song of the Day 4/28/2011

My band has a show this evening. It’s the first one in over a year and this, combined with the lingering cold, and the random, harrowing demands of the job are making me edgy. For the last few days I’ve been anxious, snappy and impatient (more so), I am a fucking joy to be around.

So I looked around on the internet for something to cheer me up and found this:

Superchunk - Digging For Something from Merge Records on Vimeo.

Obviously it’s a stone cold good song, it’s up there with any really good Superchunk song - and the video manages to actually be funny. I reckon this because Jon Wurster is so heavily involved with funny things these days (I also reckon that THAT is how Marc Maron’s WTF podcast got sponsored by Merge Records – I love it when two disparate things I like get somehow connected).

What’s really taking the edge off for me is having this song remind me of the fucking awesome show Superchunk did last year, it’s nice that a miserable mood can be fended off with a happy memory.

Also, we’re coming up on 20 years since No Pocky For Kitty came out. And you should read this about that.

Song of the Day, 4/27/11

It is Wednesday. And today I'd like to bring you some Beat Connection. They self describe themselves as some combination of Tropical Psychedelic Disco Electro Pop, and I'd probably describe them as Post Chillwave Dance Music. Both of those mean absolutely nothing, and probably don't represent their music at all.

Their record Surf Noir came out on April 12th, and it opens with some of aesthetic qualities that remind me a little bit of the Animal Collective/Grizzly Bear sounds I'm getting suuuuuuper tired of. But then it grows. And has a beat. And samples. And some air. The record has a great build to it - and listening to it feels like clearing my palate.

They've got some tracks from the record (and some other stuff) up on Soundcloud:

Here's Track 01 - Sunburn
01 Sunburn by Beat Connection

Here's Track 04 (which I really like) - Theme from Yours Truly.
04 Theme From Yours Truly by Beat Connection


And imagine getting from here to there. Yup, dig it. Totally dig it.

SotD 4/26/11 - The Mountain Goat's No Children

In honor of my shiny new guitar, I give you one of the songs in my repertoire. "No Children" is one of my favorite Mountain Goats songs because it's so damn fun to sing. It's even more fun to sing when you're accompanying yourself on guitar.

Also: Listen to the new Fleet Foxes record

Like, totally do it right now. It's available for streaming on NPR..

And check out the violin on Bedouin Blues!! It's one of my homes from youth symphony times!

Song of the Day, 4/25/2011

Kill County: The Trains, The Drinks, and The Dawn from Love Drunk on Vimeo.

I really want my band to start playing in old abandoned buildings and recording videos. There are tons of old mills and ghost towns in Washington state, and lots of old docks and abandoned places. Or hell, any old abandoned building in Seattle. Or any place that just doesn't belong empty. (I would also love us to film a video of us playing on the floating walk adjacent to Fairview, but it's so noisy right there I don't think you could get audio.) Maybe this summer when I start to get a little stir crazy and need to get out of the city, I'll just go film myself playing some of MY songs in some of those weird magical places.

Anyways, this video is lovely, was filmed in an abandoned silo by a crew called Love Drunk in the fair state of Nebraska. via Nebraska Admiral.

Song of the Day, 4/24/2011

Happy Sunday. If you're sitting around at home sipping coffee like I am (okay, well, not like I am, because I AM OUT) the entire show from last week at the Columbia City Theater is up on Youtube. There are a couple of different versions of each song, with the sound tweaked differently - but it's still lovely.

What a talented effin' band, eh?



Also, I dunno if this has shown up on your radar, but here's teenaged Robin Pecknold and Aaron Mannino covering some Radiohead:



(and hence, I will be forever plagued by how I didn't manage to know Robin Pecknold way back when.)

Song of the Day, 4/23/2011

While we were down at SxSW last month, one of the bands we watched for about half a song was The Belle Brigade. I posted a photo, misspelled their name (oops!), and we moved on. I described them as excessively earnest (they were!), but in a landscape full of folk bands, we wanted to see something else.


Even though we walked out on them, I'm back in Seattle, my endless quest for honesty and sweetness continues. I downloaded their record anyways last week, it's just on the edge of spring time, and I can't stop singing along to this track.



I just fell in love.



We spent some time over brunch today talking about mandolins (so hot right now) (plus I want one) (and I played on a beautiful one today - $1600!!) and this folk rock moment we're all stuck in, and tried to figure out how much longer it's going to last (long enough to invest in a mandolin?)

I don't think it matters because I'm not sick of it yet.

Golden Gardens

Plant Party

Guitar, drums, violin, and mandolin. Super loving this.

Song of the Day 4/21/2011

I am unwell. Not seriously ill, but coughing, uncomfortable and suffering from diminished concentration, any errors or insane observations in the below should be attributed to my condition.

To speed up my recovery I've taken the day off and I'm sitting in a coffee shop drinking spendy coffee and listening to old KEXP song of the day podcasts (drowning out The Jackson Five, which the staff seem to play on an endless loop). Obviously this is an excellent source of new music and being able to select a song from a finite list gives me a pleasant feeling of control that I don't get from just listening to KEXP on the radio.

Of the twenty or so songs I've heard this morning this is probably my favorite:

Teenage Love Made Me Insane by The High Dials
(yeah, Soundcloud, not youtube - this is the future).

Things I like about this record:

• The start - similar (same?) chords as Growin' Up by Portastatic.
• The first verse - sounds like Teenage Fanclub.
• The end - where a phaser (or possibly a flanger) is employed to mix the vocals and guitar lines together into a squashy beam of joy.

Right, back to eating fistfuls of Vitamin C.

Bonus Song!

"None of those dancers were professionals!"



Big Country on Top of the Pops in 1983. Via facebook friend Melissa.

Song of the Day, 4/20/2011

I'll bet you thought I was going to post G&O today, huh?

No, instead, you get a song which I think falls in a genre one of my coworkers calls "Fake Classy Restaurant Music" (as in, "Sometimes, sitting next to you is like being in a fake classy restaurant.")



This comes via Ian, whose Facebook like of this band made me check them out tonight. And I really dig it. (Although the video is very blah.) Accordion?? Ukelele?? Gang vocals?? Uncertainty as to whether this song is uplifting or totally depressing?

Perfect.

SotD 4/19/11 - Bill Callahan's Riding For The Feeling

I've been feeling melancholy today; more so than I've been for a long time. Fortunately, Stereomood has a mood appropriate playlist for me. I always question whether it's a good idea to listen to downer music when you're not in a great mood but I do it anyway.

I picked this song from the playlist because out of all of the thirty-something songs I've listened to today this one was the must successful at enhancing my melancholy. It remains to be seen whether it was good judgment on my part to listen to it again.

Song of the Day, 4/18/2011

"Once this is over, it is all downhill."

Local Natives | Who Knows Who Cares | A Take Away Show from La Blogotheque on Vimeo.

I had a plan for an entire like, expository diatribe I was going to post about an artist I used to love, love, love when I was a teenager - one that's kind of embarrassing, but I think totally justified, and I think is worth you understanding too.

But instead, my pal Lauren linked this from Facebook, and I decided you should watch it too. (Oh the harmonies! Oh the drumming!)

Maybe I'll get my ranty-face on for Wednesday.

Song of the Day, 4/17/2011

Sorry for falling way behind and sucking at songs of the day in the last week.



Today's song of the day is The Redwood Plan. They are the party. In general, I think Seattle doesn't have enough party music or party bands - we're really good at supporting and elevating sad guys with guitars and folk guys with beards, but we're not good at elevating bands that actually make you want to dance.

We caught The Redwood Plan at the Comet last night, and it was all kinds of awesome. I think we all need a little more of this.

The Redwood Plan

Fences

Same Tattoos

Clutch Douglass

Song of the day 4/14/2011

I'm really looking forward to the next Future of the Left record, because it means they'll probably tour and probably come to Seattle and it will be amazing.

If past performance is anything to go by - they'll bring the following:

• A rack of identical black Epiphone SG guitars.
• A smart, snarky attitude that borders on distain for the audience.
• Filthy bass tone.
• Loud, loud music. Loud enough that it affects your vision not just your hearing.

This is one of those songs that confers on the listener a sense of indestructability was they walk through even the most bro-infested streets on a Saturday night (see also: songs by White Zombie, songs with the word “motherfucker” in the title).

Come on Rick, I'm not a prize. I'm not a cynic or one of those guys!

Future of the Left - Arming Eritrea



Further reading:
FOTL’s posts on twitter: @shit_rock
Filesharing scum: http://www.myspace.com/futureoftheleft/blog/485944356 and http://www.guardian.co.uk/music/musicblog/2009/sep/28/advert-filesharing

Fleet Foxes

SotD 4/12/11 - Jawbreaker's Save Your Generation

This song is an old favorite from high school, and I still love it. Unfortunately, it's much more difficult to find good video from the 90s. I also made the discovery of a Fall Out Boy cover of this song. Blecch.

Back then I really wanted to be punk or a rude girl but didn't do a great job at either. I was too naive and "nice." I dyed colored streaks in my hair and pinned a safety pins to my hoodie but never progressed much beyond that. I didn't really have any money so my safety pin collection sucked. If I'd really been punk I suppose I would have shoplifted them. Punk fail.

Song of the Day, 4/9/11

Song of the day 4/7/2011

It is very important that you buy the first British Sea Power record “The Decline of British Sea Power” and listen to it over and over again.

I remember buying this and Dance of Death by Iron Maiden at Sonic Boom in Capitol Hill one evening in 2003, then things get fuzzy. There was a pub quiz, at which I don’t think we (and I don’t remember who “we” were) did very well also there was the lager – this was uncommonly, shockingly, deviously strong and the drunkenness sneaked up on me without my consent. At some point I got home (still carrying the CDs) and thought “I’ll just lie on the floor for a bit, before I go to bed” (nope, no idea). Around 7am I woke up, ran a few self-assessment tests and decided that I would not be going into work that day.

Instead I spent the next few hours recovering and listening to this.

British Sea Power – Something Wicked



Dance of Death didn’t get much of a look-in, it’s not a great Iron Maiden album – in fact there’s some disturbingly right-wing ideas expressed on it. Another painful step on transition from “liking metal” to “liking indie".

Bonus! Death Cab Video.

You may or may not have heard, Death Cab For Cutie did something novel and interesting yesterday - they shot this video in one take with a live audience watching via streaming video on their website (EDIT: Not on their website - via UStream). (Disappointed that they chose 4pm PST, so no, I didn't actually watch the live webcast.)

I'm not a huge fan of the song, I'll admit, but I think this is an interesting way of generating media attention and getting fans engaged - I certainly felt overwhelmed with the amount of coverage this got on Twitter and the local music outlets that I follow.

The UStream channel reports 24,433 total views - it doesn't compare anywhere near real TV viewership (As a data point of comparison -- The OC which played role in launching DC/FC - at it's worst averaged 4 million viewers per episode) but 24k viewers for a 4 minute video shoot doesn't seem that bad.

(I'm trying to think of other things to compare it to - is this a success? a flop? an interesting proof of concept? suggestions?)

Song of the Day, 4/6/11

Stars | A Take Away Show from La Blogotheque on Vimeo.

A beautiful version of one of my favorite songs (Your Ex-Lover is Dead). The album "Set Yourself On Fire" came out in 2004, and I discovered it in spring of 2005, not long before I left for Lincoln. After breaking up with my college boyfriend, I used to listen to this record and had this elaborate fantasy in my head about how bumping into him would somehow be like this song.

There'd be snow. It'd be the bitter, dry, bone chilling cold (......................that we don't have in Seattle.) There would be taxis, frosted streetlights, maybe a car wreck. "I'm not sorry I met you, I'm not sorry it's over, I'm not sorry there's nothing to say."

Really, this song ended up being much more about me from 2005-2007: "Live through this, and you won't look back."

SotD 4/5/11 - Jens Lekman Medley

This video is a medley of "I'm Leaving You Because I Don't Love You" & "The Opposite Of Hallelujah." I was just looking for the first song but when I came across a recording from the time I saw him at the Crocodile and I had to use that version.

I love this song because it's a break-up song but there is no blame or drama in the lyrics. It didn't work out, and it's time to move on.

Song of the Day, 4/4/11

Love Somebody from Christian Sorensen Hansen on Vimeo.

No comment.

Song of the Day, 4/3/11

Oh hey! First post of April!

Sorry, I've been kind of overwhelmed the last few days with the latest Seattle Rock Orchestra concert (which, was probably one of my favorites to date) and an overdue trip up to Bellingham.



I found this record in my old closet. I kind of forgot about this one. (oops.)

I was so moved by this record the first time I heard it years and years ago, and I wonder what happened that made me give up entirely on music like this. Falling in and out of love, with people and with sounds, what made me start getting obsessed with the artificiality of electronic noises, and start chasing the honesty of folk bands filled with sad voices and acoustic guitars.

If I can piece it together, I'll tell you. But for now, I'm back where I started, haunted by a critical mass of strings and where they can move you. And drop you.



So let's lie on the floor tonight, drink some cheap wine, and listen to Godspeed until it feels like the whole world is spinning around you. I promise it's a really great idea.

Tonight at the Triple Door!

Seattle Rock Orchestra accompanies Shenandoah Davis and Kaylee Cole!!

It's gonna be GOOD.

Song of the day 3/31/2011

Hello children,

Obsessed pattern-spotters will have notice that I write Song of the Day for Thursdays, further they’ll have noticed that I haven’t done it for the last two weeks. To explain: the first week was deliberate so I didn’t interrupt the flow of SxSW updates with a post about some band from the 90s and I spent all of last week fully occupied with the “typing that I do for money”.

So, The Supersuckers. About fifteen years ago, there would run on late night television a rock TV show, I didn’t have MTV, this was my access to an hour a week of \m/RAWK\m/. Many of the videos on this show were no good: Poison, some dull grunge band that sounded like The Stone Temple Pilots, a German version of Poison etc. but there was the occasional gem, this was how I first heard Born With a Tail by The Supersuckers (and that was the video I was going to post – but having just re-watched it, I’ve decided it’s dodgy). Over the next few years I tracked down their records, during college I used “The Sacrilicious Sound of The Supersuckers” and “The Evil Powers of Rock and Roll” as the soundtrack to kick off a weekend, I remember finally being done with first year quantum mechanics and listening to their country record (Must’ve Been High), in my last year I learned enough of the C programing language to do some damage while listening to “The Smoke Of Hell” on repeat. They were an important band for me. Shortly after graduating and completely unexpectedly I found myself living in Seattle. Seattle! Where the fucking Supersuckers are! I would probably get to see them!

I did. They opened with this:

The Supersuckers – Heavy Heart (You Am I cover)

I still love the line “I miss you like sleep”.

Sadly, their last handful of records have been less inspiring and seeing Eddie Spaghetti’s solo show a few months ago was very disappointing: the OTT RAWK star charm didn’t work so well with just an acoustic guitar and the songs seemed crass and childish.

But when they were on form – they were unbeatable. I’m going to listen to How To Maximize Your Kill Count and pretend time can be stopped.

Song of the Day, 3/30/11

If I had been on top of things, I probably would have posted this video with enough time for you actually to go see this show. Davilla 666 is playing at the Funhouse! Right now!

They were a band a lot of people loved at SxSW this last year, but we didn't exactly make it out to see them. Much like tonight, how I am totally not leaving my apartment and instead am going to drink beer and dye my hair.



But I'm probably going to do it while listening to Davilla 666.

SoTD 3/29/11 - James Blake's The Wilhelm Scream

My first post to the blog and I'm late... You won't tell on me, will you?

Today it's the official James Blake video for "The Wilhelm Scream." I hadn't heard of him before we saw him at SXSW and I'm not sure I would have appreciated his artistry as much if I'd only heard recordings. When I listen to the song now I can remember how it felt to be at the show - the entire audience was entranced. I remember thinking to myself "I like this music! I should express it with movement in some way!" but nothing seemed right so I just sat still and watched and listened. I'm listening to it right now and it's still difficult to do anything other than absorb the sounds.

Song of the Day, 3/28/11

Okay, so technically the track I've had on repeat all day is This Island - but I couldn't really resist this clip from the Le Tigre movie that's coming out soon - Who Took the Bomp!

I saw it at SxSW - it's pretty perfect. It made me want to start rad feminist bands, made most of the theater cry! YEAH! LET'S START RAD FEMINIST BANDS!



One of the recurring themes in the film is the fear of erasure - the fear that their art, their music, their message, will be erased or covered up. That thought is what made a majority of the women in the theater start bawling, I think. Here is this band, that inspired tons of girls of my generation to go make good art, to be rad feminists, and - and - taught us that feminism, art, rock, all of the things we love can live on long after we're kids - and their greatest fear is that no one will remember them for their contribution.


It was sort of an interesting reflective moment - all of us took that band into our hearts our souls - in a place where they'll never be forgotten - and because of that, the idea that the music, the message, could just disappear had never actually occurred to us. Scary. Weird. Now I'm afraid of erasure too.


Okay, and as bonus - here's This Island. The song I've had on repeat all day.



STOP SMOKING THOSE CIGARETTES BABY NEXT TIME ITS YOUR TURN TO SAVE ME SPLASH SOME WATER ON YOUR LITTLE FACE YOU'RE A MESS YOU'RE A MESS YOU'RE A MESS

Song of the Day, 3/27/11

I know I've had millions of opportunities to see these guys in Seattle, and I've passed.... what a mistake. Seeing them at SxSW was a highlight.

Secret Shoppers

It's good to be home

Currently watching a hipster honkey tonk band. Wish I knew how to line dance. I totally want to start a band like this. Or murder their fiddle player.

Song of the Day, 3/26/2011

Sorry people, I am way behind on songs of the day. and on some SxSW highlight posts I've been planning.

I've been listening to a lot of the Head and the Heart record this week - being at SxSW and not making music has lit a huge fire for making music - and even though I've almost lost my voice from allergies and a cold - singing along to this record has been making me really happy in situations that just sort of aren't.

Harmony isn't just a sound, it's a feeling - in the back of your throat, inside of your head. I always wonder if people who don't sing know that, experience that, or if it could make them as happy as feeling that vibration makes me.




Oh, one SxSW related item: One of my favorite moments of SxSW was discovering, at 3:30am the Rad Bus parked outside of a Wendy's, powering a bunch of amps off of engine power, and some really cool fucking bands just rocking out. But it was 3:30am, we were all kind of drunk, and tired, and I don't think we figured out which bands they actually were. Apparently they were a Stranger favorite too, they have band names and a little more context than my drunk ass was able to figure out that night.

Last day in Texas

My Frye boots feel so plain now.

Song of the Day, 3/20/11

I feel sort of bad that I don't know any of his songs names, but I'm mostly excited I got some great videos. This is James Blake.



Shot on 3/17/11 at a church in Austin, TX. For SxSW.

LL What?

It was a Sweet Home / Mamma Said Knock You out mash up. Where the fuck am I?

And lo

Like an angelic flash of light, LL Cool J was there. Covering Sweet Home Alabama.

I have no words for this

Go Chic

Dead Milkmen

Currently watching Dead Milkmen from a balcony with this view. What!

James Lanman and the Good Hurt

Tapes n Tapes

These day shows at the convention center are kind of great. Great sound (since they're being broadcast/recorded), cool bands, air conditioned, and totally dead.

The Lonely Forest ... Again.

Seeing them for a third time feels sort of excessive, but they're just so damn good. And they really love making music - the amount of love they're putting into it and the fun they're having comes through in every note of every song from all four of them.

Plus, Waterloo Records is exactly hangover stumbling distance from our condo. They're making it easy.

Okkervil River

Yessss!

Yes, I miss Nate Dawg too BUT

Can someone pour a 40 for Alex Chilton already? #SxSW

Hawt Legs @ Chromeo

I need even more Lone Stars to take this.

Chromeo

Hawt.

More Gayngs

Yes, please.

Gayngs

Love it!

Shabazz Palaces with Thee Satisfaction

So many damn smokers on this patio, I'm going to have an asthma attack I I stay the whole set.

Bell Brigade

They were very earnest. A very sweet earnest folksy band.

Random Rooftop Band

We played another game of "guess the sound.". I lost again, my guess was funk/reggae, it turns out they desperately want to be U2.

Another Speed Set

No idea what his name is, but I liked him too! I would book him to open for the Cave Singers any day.

Street Chant

From New Zealand, and totally bitchin'!

Afternoon Speed Sets

No clue who these chicks are! But I like 'Em!

SxSW Panels

#SxSW is weird. This would be great advice for a band that's just getting started. I wouldn't be here if I hadn't made choices in my life that means I don't need it

Band Business Panel

"Music is a place where a camel is a horse built by a committee."

The Felice Brothers

"Run, Chicken, Run!"

Their fiddle player is shredding!

Shitty things about the women in rock panel

We only caught the last 10 minutes, Q&A.

- No diversity. In color or age.
- a lady with a band asked for advice on getting her band covered by female music journalists that have influence. Their advice was "cream rises." I won't pretend I have influence, but hello, I was in the room. The flipside of the way technology has democratize music production is that it has also democratized music journalism. We should all be musician journalists and we should all promote.
- a young lady asked for advice about breaking in to the industry (making connections, etc) and they told her to get an internship and not to cry. Then one of the panelists talked about how her granddaughter has an internship with Jack White. Wow inspiring! I don't begrudge using what you've got to get where you need to go, but it wasn't really an appropriate answer.
- a young lady sound engineer asked about getting harsh attention from a professor, and then sort of revealed he's trying to mentor her. She was really asking about walking the line between the various ways she's being singled out as a woman. In my experience, in small fields, mentoring plays a huge role in maintaining the boys club, and it sounds like this guy might be trying to help change that? Even if he's doing a shit job? The panel's advice was to get him fired.

There is so much nuance involved when you're talking about gender and balance and careers and art. I think we're beyond the point where we can mechanically toss out "equal treatment" rhetoric and expect to have a productive conversation. Especially in an industry which singles out the talent.

Kill Rock Stars

At a panel about women, rock, industry.

"Kill Rock Stars can't sell an all male band. Seriously, we've looked at the numbers, we can not launch a band without at least one woman."

This is heaven

We're sitting in a diner listening to the Dum Dum Girls play outside. This is heaven.

Rad Bus Band

The Rad Bus brings you bands. Even to the sidewalk next to Wendy's at 3:30am.

James Blake

James Blake

Oops, I marched us into the press section.

Good Bands

"Have the rest of you been seeing good bands playing? Oh hello, you got what we did there! and you liked it!" - The City and Colour.

PS. One of their fav bands is Low, and they should be one of yours too.

The City and Colour

Churches are awesome music venues.

The Lonely Forest

Mmm hmm!

Noah and the Whale

Way to start playing my favorite of your songs as I was about to leave, jerks! (Rocks and Daggers)

Fences

Fences

Instagram is still installing, so again no photo...

I just watched Fences play in a church. We sat in the back and the guitars bouncing off the walls nearly knocked me down. What a perfect space, perfect sound, perfect moment in space and time.

Geographer

The Instagram update on my phone has stalled so no photo :(

The PA in this venue keeps cutting out and they're still killing it.

Menomena

Currently standing on a chair @ the Brooklyn Vegan day party.

devotchka!!!!

Third Man Records Rolling Record store!

Soft Moon

Holy shit these guys are fantastic!

Locksley

Brite Futures

The Line

Currently watching Zion & I, and the line for Macklemore grow around the block.

SxSW Protip

Queso.

More Wild Flag

"Do you want this to be pretty? Is that why you're here at a rock show? No, this isn't going to be pretty, this is going to get fucked up." - Carrie Brownstein

Wild Flag

SxSW tuesday

The Lonely Forest